Although this Bidayuh longhouse village has been on the tourist circuit for decades, it’s still a good place to get a sense of what a longhouse is and what longhouse life is like.
The 500 residents of Annah Rais are as keen as the rest of us to enjoy the comforts of modern life – they love their mobile phones and 3G internet access – but they’ve made a conscious decision to preserve their traditional architecture and the social interaction it engenders.
They’ve also decided that welcoming modern tourists is a good way to earn a living without moving to the city, something most young people end up doing.
